Hana Levi Julian
The number of Israelis who oppose surrendering the Golan Heights to Syria is growing, according to a new Teleseker poll published in the Hebrew-language newspaper Ma'ariv on Tuesday.
Some 85 percent of the Israeli public is opposed to ceding the Golan Heights to Syria, according to the poll.
Barely half of those living in the strategic area said they would leave their homes voluntarily if the government agreed to turn the Golan over to Syria.
Only 56 percent of respondents living in the Golan Heights agreed they would leave in return for money or equivalent property in the Galilee or Negev. The statistics did not change significantly even when residents were offered double compensation in exchange for leaving their homes in the Golan Heights.
Envoys Yoram Turgeman and Shalom Turbovich returned to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's office from Ankara following a second round of talks on Sunday and Monday with Syrian representatives through Turkish mediators with new dates for further discussions in the near future.
The pair said the latest discussions went well; however, the content of the talks was not released.
Prior to the talks there was also a majority opposed to a full withdrawal from the Golan.
Last Thurday the results of a poll conducted between May 27 and June 7 by the Truman Institute of the Hebrew University found that 67 percent of Israelis are unwilling to give up the area, even in return for a complete peace agreement with Syria. Only 22 percent of respondents supported the move.
A previous survey conducted by the same group in March found that 56 percent opposed ceding the region, and 25 percent supported the idea.
The findings had a margin of error of + 3 percent..
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